Patents by Inventor Christoph ERK

Christoph ERK has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20240166532
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process for making a particulate oxyhydroxide or oxide of TM with a bimodal particles diameter distribution where TM represents metals, and where TM includes nickel and at least one metal is selected from the group consisting of cobalt and manganese.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2022
    Publication date: May 23, 2024
    Inventors: Thorsten BEIERLING, Daniela KOEHLER, Benjamin Johannes Herbert BERGNER, Christoph ERK
  • Patent number: 11984578
    Abstract: Process for making an at least partially coated electrode active material wherein said process comprises the following steps: (a) Providing an electrode active material according to general formula Li1+xTM1?xO2, wherein TM is a combination of Ni and Co or Ni and Al and, optionally, Mn, and, optionally, at least one metal selected from Ga, Nb, Ta, Mg, Mo, B, Sn, V, W, Ti and Zr, and x is in the range of from zero to 0.2, (b) treating said electrode active material with at least one carbonyl compound of Co, and (c) treating the material obtained in step (b) with an oxidant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2024
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Heino Sommer, Christoph Erk, Thomas Schaub
  • Publication number: 20240006580
    Abstract: Disclosed herein is a process for making an electrode active material, where said process includes the following steps: (a) Providing a hydroxide TM(OH)2 or an oxyhydroxide of TM, where TM is one or more metals and contains Mn, optionally, Co, and from 85 to 95 mol % Ni, referring to the sum of Ni, Co and Mn; (b) Drying said hydroxide TM(OH)2 or oxyhydroxide of TM at a temperature in the range of from 400 to 600° C., thereby obtaining an oxide or oxyhydroxide of TM with a residual moisture content of from 200 to 500 ppm; (c) Mixing said oxide or oxyhydroxide from step (b) with a source of lithium, at least one compound of Mg or Al, and at least one compound of Ti or Zr; and (d) Treating the mixture obtained from step (c) thermally at a temperature in the range of 550 to 875° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2021
    Publication date: January 4, 2024
    Inventors: Heino SOMMER, Christoph ERK, Jacob HAAG, James A SIOSS, Daniela KOEHLER, Kathrin MICHEL, Lennart Karl Bernhard GARVE, Benjamin Johannes Herbert BERGNER
  • Patent number: 11862795
    Abstract: Process for modifying an electrode active material according to general formula Li1+xTM1?xO2, wherein TM contains a combination of Ni and at least one transition metal selected from Co and Mn, and, optionally, at least one metal selected from Al, Ba, and Mg and, optionally, one or more transition metals other than Ni, Co, and Mn, wherein at least 75 mole-% of TM is Ni, and x is in the range of from ?0.05 to 0.2, said process comprising the steps of (a) treating said Li1+xTM1?xO2 with an aqueous medium with a pH value of at least 5 and up to 14, (b) removing said aqueous medium from treated Li1+xTM1?xO2 by way of a solid-liquid separation, wherein steps (a) and (b) are commenced with a maximum time difference of 3 minutes. In addition, the present invention is directed towards Ni-rich electrode active materials.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2024
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christoph Erk, Thomas Letzelter, Markus Hoelzle, Carsten Sueling
  • Publication number: 20230406724
    Abstract: Described herein is a process for making an electrode active material according to general formula Li1+(TM1-yM1y)1-xO2, where TM includes a combination of Ni and at least one of Co, Mn and Al, M1 is selected from the group consisting of Nb, Ta, and at least one of Co, Mn and Al, y is in a range of from 0.001 to less than 0.01, and x is in a range of from zero to 0.2, said process including the following steps: (a) mixing (A) a mixed oxide or (oxy)hydroxide of Mn, Co and Ni, and (B) at least one lithium compound selected from the group consisting of lithium hydroxide, lithium oxide and lithium carbonate, and (C) an amorphous compound of Nb or Ta, and (b) subjecting said mixture to heat treatment, where at least 60 mole-% of a transition metal of TM is Ni.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 12, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Ryosuke TAKEUCHI, Ji-Yong SHIN, Numata ERI, Ito SEITARO, Christoph ERK
  • Publication number: 20230406723
    Abstract: Described herein is a process for manufacture of a cathode active material including the steps of (a) providing a particulate electrode active material according to general formula Li1+xTM1?xO2, where TM is Ni and, optionally, at least one element selected from the group consisting of Al, Mg, Ba, and transition metals other than Ni, and x is in a range of from ?0.05 to 0.2, and where at least 50 mole-% of TM is Ni, (b) adding an aqueous medium that includes LiOH in dissolved form to the particulate electrode active material provided in step (a), (c) removing the liquid phase by a solid-liquid separation method, and (d) at least partially recycling the liquid phase from step (c) for use in a treatment step.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Publication date: December 21, 2023
    Inventors: Zhenji HAN, Jumpei NAKAYAMA, Junji KASHIWAGI, Hitoshi FUKUMITSU, Frank RAUSCHER, Christoph ERK, Thomas LETZELTER
  • Publication number: 20230378428
    Abstract: Described herein is a process for the manufacture of a fluoride doped cathode active material, where said process includes the steps of (a) providing a particulate oxide or (oxy)hydroxide of transition metals (TM), where TM includes nickel and at least one metal selected from cobalt and manganese, and where said particulate oxide or (oxy)hydroxide has an average particle diameter (D50) in a range of from 3 to 16 ?m, (b) providing a source of lithium that includes 0.01 to 2.5% by weight of fluoride uniformly dispersed within said source of lithium, (c) mixing said oxide or (oxy)hydroxide of TM with said fluoride-including source of lithium and, optionally, with an additional source of lithium including less fluoride, and, optionally, with one or more dopants based on at least one metal other than lithium, and (d) treating the mixture obtained from step (c) thermally.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2021
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Christoph ERK, Heino SOMMER, Kathrin MICHEL, Frank RAUSCHER, Nils-Olof Joachim BORN, Wolfgang ROHDE, Carsten SUELING, Birgit GERKE
  • Publication number: 20230223529
    Abstract: The present invention is directed towards a process for making an electrode wherein the process comprises the following steps (a) providing a particulate lithiated transition metal oxide according to the formula Li1+xTM1-xO2 wherein x is in the range of from zero to 0.1 and TM contains nickel and at least one of Co, Mn and Al, (b) mixing the lithiated transition metal oxide from step (a) with carbon in electrically conductive form, (c) exposing the mixture obtained in step (b) to a pressure in the range of from 100 to 500 MPa over a period of time of from one second to one minute, thereby causing cracks in at least some of the particles of the electrode active material, (d) mixing the mixture from step (c) with a binder polymer and, optionally, with further carbon in electrically conductive form and with a solvent, (e) applying the mixture from step (d) to a metal foil.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Yohko TOMOTA, Christoph ERK, Pascal HARTMANN
  • Publication number: 20220246900
    Abstract: Process for making an at least partially coated electrode active material wherein said process comprises the following steps: (a) Providing an electrode active material according to general formula Li1+xTM1?xO2, wherein TM is a combination of Ni and Co or Ni and Al and, optionally, Mn, and, optionally, at least one metal selected from Ga, Nb, Ta, Mg, Mo, B, Sn, V, W, Ti and Zr, and x is in the range of from zero to 0.2, (b) treating said electrode active material with at least one carbonyl compound of Co, and (c) treating the material obtained in step (b) with an oxidant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2020
    Publication date: August 4, 2022
    Inventors: Heino SOMMER, Christoph ERK, Thomas SCHAUBA
  • Patent number: 11394026
    Abstract: Process for making an electrode active material for a lithium ion battery, said process comprising the following steps: (a) Contacting a mixture of (A) a precursor of a mixed oxide according to general formula Li1+xTM1?xO2, wherein TM is a combination of two or more transition metals selected from Mn, Co and Ni, optionally in combination with at least one more metal selected from Ba, Al, Ti, Zr, W, Fe, Cr, K, Mo, Nb, Mg, Na and V, and x is in the range of from zero to 0.2, and (B) at least one lithium compound, with (C) Br2, I2, or at least one compound selected from carbon perhalides selected from the bromides and iodides, and interhalogen compounds comprising bromine or iodine, and (b) Subjecting said mixture to heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from 700 to 1000° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Andreas Michael Kern, Lothar Seidemann, Christoph Erk
  • Publication number: 20220194814
    Abstract: Process for precipitating a mixed hydroxide of TM wherein TM comprises Ni and at least one of Co and Mn and, optionally, Al, Mg, Zr or Ti, from an aqueous solution of salts of such transition metals or of Al or of Mg, wherein such process is carried out in a stirred vessel and comprises the step of introducing an aqueous solution of alkali metal hydroxide and an aqueous solution of transition metal salts through at least two inlets into said stirred vessel wherein the distance of the locations of introduction of salts of TM and of alkali metal hydroxide is equal or less than 6 times the hydraulic diameter of the tip of the inlet pipe of the alkali metal hydroxide.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Publication date: June 23, 2022
    Inventors: Thorsten BEIERLING, Simon SCHROEDLE, James SIOSS, Daniela PFISTER, KALO Benedikt, Christoph ERK, Brandon LONG, Christian RIEMANN, Christine AMMONS, Yohko TOMOTA, Phil Jack HOLZMEISTER
  • Publication number: 20220098053
    Abstract: Process for making an electrode active material according to general formula Li1+xTM1?xO2, wherein TM is a combination of Ni and Co and Zr and at least one metal selected from Mn and Al, and, optionally, at least one of Mg, Ti, and W, wherein GC at least 60 mole-% is Ni, referring to the sum of Ni, Co and, if applicable, Mn and Al, and x is in the range of from zero to 0.2, said process comprising the following steps: (a) mixing (A) a mixed oxide or oxyhydroxide of Ni, Co and, if applicable, Mn, (B) at least one lithium compound selected from lithium hydroxide, lithium oxide and lithium carbonate, and (C) at least one oxide or hydroxide or oxyhydroxide of Zr with an average diameter D50 in the range of from 1 to 7 ?m, and in compounds (C) that are selected from oxides of Zr, their crystallite size is in the range of from 5 to 20 nm and (b) Subjecting said mixture to heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from 700 to 1000° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Publication date: March 31, 2022
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christoph ERK, Pascal HARTMANN, Robert Matthew LEE, James A. SIOSS
  • Patent number: 11283074
    Abstract: The present invention is related to an electrode active material for a lithium-ion battery of general formula (I): Li1+x(NiaCobMncMd)1?xO2 wherein x is in the range of from zero to 0.1, a is in the range of from 0.1 to 0.5, b is in the range of from 0.4 to 0.9, c is in the range of from zero to 0.3, d is in the range of from zero to 0.1, M is selected from Al, B, Mg, W, Mo, Ti, Si and Zr, with a+b+c+d=1 and a>c. In addition, the present invention is related to a method of manufacture of electrode active materials and to their use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignees: BASF SE, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie
    Inventors: Pascal Hartmann, Thomas Michael Ryll, Christoph Erk, Lea De Biasi
  • Publication number: 20210399291
    Abstract: Process for making a coated oxide material wherein said process comprises the following steps: (a) providing a particulate material selected from lithiated nickel-cobalt aluminum oxides, lithium cobalt oxide, lithiated cobalt-manganese oxides and lithiated layered nickel-cobalt-manganese oxides, (b) treating said particulate material with an aqueous medium, (c) removing said aqueous medium, (d) drying said treated particulate material, (e) treating said particulate material from step (d) with a metal amide or alkyl metal compound, (f) treating the material obtained in step (e) with moisture or an oxidizing agent, and, optionally, repeating the sequence of steps (e) and (f).
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 11, 2019
    Publication date: December 23, 2021
    Inventors: Maraike AHLF, Torsten MAEURER, Christoph ERK, Jacob HAAG, Heino SOMMER
  • Publication number: 20210376318
    Abstract: Process for modifying an electrode active material according to general formula Li1+xTM1?xO2, wherein TM contains a combination of Ni and at least one transition metal selected from Co and Mn, and, optionally, at least one metal selected from Al, Ba, and Mg and, optionally, one or more transition metals other than Ni, Co, and Mn, wherein at least 75 mole-% of TM is Ni, and x is in the range of from ?0.05 to 0.2, said process comprising the steps of (a) treating said Li1+xTM1?xO2 with an aqueous medium with a pH value of at least 5 and up to 14, (b) removing said aqueous medium from treated Li1+xTM1?xO2 by way of a solid-liquid separation, wherein steps (a) and (b) are commenced with a maximum time difference of 3 minutes. In addition, the present invention is directed towards Ni-rich electrode active materials.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 17, 2019
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christoph ERK, Thomas LETZELTER, Markus HOELZLE, Carsten SUELING
  • Publication number: 20210328218
    Abstract: Process for making a partially coated electrode active material wherein said process comprises the following steps: (a) Providing an electrode active material according to general formula Li1+1TM1?xO2, wherein TM comprises Ni and, optionally, at least one transition metal selected from Co and Mn, and, optionally, at least one element selected from Al, Mg, Ba and B, transition metals other than Ni, Co, and Mn, and x is in the range of from ?0.05 to 0.2, wherein at least 50 mole-% of the transition metal of TM is Ni, (b) treating said electrode active material with an aqueous formulation containing an inorganic aluminum compound dispersed or slurried in water, (c) separating off the water, (d) thermal treatment of the material obtained from step (c).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2019
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christoph ERK, Zhenji HAN, Junji KASHIWAGI, Suhao WEI, Takayuki YAMAMURA, Daisuke MORITA, Martin SCHULZ-DOBRICK
  • Publication number: 20200161652
    Abstract: Process for making an electrode active material according to general formula Li1+?TM1??O2, wherein TM is a combination of Mn, Co and Ni in combination with at least one more metal selected from Al, Ti, and W, wherein at least 60 mole-% of TM is Ni, the percentage referring to the sum of Ni, Co and Mn, and x is in the range of from zero to 0.2, said process comprising the following steps: (a) mixing (A) a mixed oxide or oxyhydroxide of Mn, Co and Ni, (B) at least one lithium compound selected from lithium hydroxide, lithium oxide and lithium carbonate, and (C) an oxide, hydroxide or oxyhydroxide of Al, Ti or W, (b) Subjecting said mixture to heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from 700 to 1000° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 5, 2018
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christoph ERK, Thomas Michael RYLL, Aleksei VOLKOV, Brandon Ray LONG, Jacob HAAG
  • Publication number: 20200144617
    Abstract: Process for making an electrode active material for a lithium ion battery, said process comprising the following steps: (a) Contacting a mixture of (A) a precursor of a mixed oxide according to general formula Li1+xTM1?xO2, wherein TM is a combination of two or more transition metals selected from Mn, Co and Ni, optionally in combination with at least one more metal selected from Ba, Al, Ti, Zr, W, Fe, Cr, K, Mo, Nb, Mg, Na and V, and x is in the range of from zero to 0.2, and (B) at least one lithium compound, with (C) Br2, I2, or at least one compound selected from carbon perhalides selected from the bromides and iodides, and interhalogen compounds comprising bromine or iodine, and (b) Subjecting said mixture to heat treatment at a temperature in the range of from 700 to 1000° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2018
    Publication date: May 7, 2020
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Andreas Michael KERN, Lothar SEIDEMANN, Christoph ERK
  • Patent number: 10526212
    Abstract: A process is described for producing mixed oxide in particulate form, comprising cations of lithium and cations of at least two transition metals selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, manganese, titanium, vanadium, chromium and iron, as are mixed oxides produced by this process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2020
    Assignee: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christoph Erk, Thomas Michael Ryll, Jordan Lampert
  • Publication number: 20170355614
    Abstract: A process is described for producing mixed oxide in particulate form, comprising cations of lithium and cations of at least two transition metals selected from the group consisting of nickel, cobalt, manganese, titanium, vanadium, chromium and iron, as are mixed oxides produced by this process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 30, 2015
    Publication date: December 14, 2017
    Applicant: BASF SE
    Inventors: Christoph ERK, Thomas Michael RYLL, Jordan LAMPERT